DIMAPUR, MAY 25 (MExN): The Nagaland State VDB Association (NSVDBA) has issued a clarification with regard to a point made in the statement issued by the association on May 23, which involved BDOs asking money from PMAY-G beneficiaries.
A press release from Manthungo Kikon, NSVDBA General Secretary said that the erstwhile Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) was restructured into PMAY-G in the year 2016. In this system, fund is transferred to the accounts of the government approved vendors through PFMS for supply of building materials to the beneficiaries, which is inclusive of the transportation cost and the block official supervise the delivery of materials and constructions of house. The NSVDBA had requested the Department to adopt this system of implementation.
However, it was learnt that the Ministry of Rural Development has refused the use of vendors and that fund has to be transferred directly to the accounts of the beneficiaries for procurement of the building materials by themselves. “This system will be an inconvenience as the beneficiaries will have to bear all the unseen expenses and it may result in procurement of materials not approved by the Department or the procured materials may be of inferior quality as this system will be dependent on the availability of the materials in the nearest market,” the association said.
Therefore, in order to have uniformity in procurement and maintain quality materials in implementation and to ensure timely completion of houses, some BDOs might have suggested to the beneficiaries to procure the materials from a common vendor from the money received in their accounts.
It said that the VDB Secretaries misunderstood the directives of the BDOs and took it as department officials asking money from the beneficiaries.
